This is from Zuma:

“I am concerned about the expectation that one gives out one’s social security number to anyone, anywhere. For example, I applied for a membership to a teachers’ association and that is one of the first things they ask on the application. Why do they need it?

“If you are enrolling kids in public school, they ask for it too. Students have a student ID number and an FTE number used for funding purposes, so why do they have to have a social security number also?

“I think the number should be used for what it was initially intended and not as an ID number. By the way, can you go over the history of social security?”

This is Ilyce: I will see what I can dig up on the history of the Social Security Administration and post it on the site.

June 19, 2006.